Morton's tenacity driven by enthusiasm and discovery, he and renowned surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital, John Collins Warren (1778-1856) made history on October 16, 1846 with the first successful surgical procedure performed with anesthesia.

What did they use before anesthesia?

The first attempts at general anesthesia were probably herbal remedies administered in prehistory. Alcohol is the oldest known sedative; it was used in ancient Mesopotamia thousands of years ago.

Was anesthesia used in the Civil War?

Anesthesia was used in 95% of Civil War surgeries. Sulfuric ether had been discovered in Europe in the 1830's and was first used as an anesthetic by William Morton in 1846.